Sunita Williams Set to Return to Earth After Over 9 Months in Space

Photo : AFP

After spending more than nine months on the International Space Station (ISS), American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally coming back to Earth. Their mission, which was meant to be a short trip, turned into a long stay that caught the world’s attention.

Williams and Wilmore flew to the ISS in June 2024 on Boeing's Starliner for its first crewed test flight. The plan was for them to stay only a few days and return. But soon after reaching the station, Starliner had engine problems, making it unsafe for the astronauts to fly back. NASA decided to send the Starliner home empty to avoid more issues.

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With no safe ride back, Williams and Wilmore, who are 59 and 62 years old, had to wait. They were later added to the NASA-SpaceX Crew-9 mission. In September 2024, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was sent to the ISS with only two astronauts instead of the usual four, leaving room for the stranded pair.

On Sunday, the Crew-10 relief team reached the ISS. When they docked, they were met with big smiles and warm hugs from the astronauts. With the new team in place, Williams, Wilmore, American Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov got ready to leave.

After sharing emotional hugs with their fellow crew members, the four astronauts entered the SpaceX Dragon capsule and closed the hatch at 11:05 pm (0305 GMT Tuesday). After final checks, the capsule was set to undock from the ISS at 1:05 am (0505 GMT).

If all goes well, the Dragon capsule will open its parachutes and land in the ocean off Florida’s coast. A rescue team will be waiting to bring the crew back safely.

Even though Williams and Wilmore stayed longer than the usual six-month mission, their time in space was not the longest. The US record is held by Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days in space in 2023. The world record is still with Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who stayed on the Mir space station for 437 days.

Space doctors say that although the astronauts stayed longer than planned, their health is not at serious risk. Rihana Bokhari from the Center for Space Medicine at Baylor College said that astronauts are used to muscle loss, bone weakness, and fluid shifts in space. She added that Sunita Williams is known for working out regularly, which will help her recover faster once back on Earth.

While they were ready for the physical demands, the long wait away from their families was hard. Joseph Keebler, a psychologist, praised their strong mindset, saying that being stuck at work for nine months would be tough for anyone, but the astronauts handled it with patience and courage.

Their long mission also became a political issue. Former US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk accused President Joe Biden of ignoring the astronauts. On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social:

"They shamefully forgot about the astronauts because they considered it to be a very embarrassing event for them."

Experts in the space community denied these claims, saying that NASA had kept the same plan from the start. The astronauts were always set to return with Crew-9, and no rescue mission was ever needed.

Trump also made odd comments about Williams, calling her "the woman with the wild hair" and joking about her and Wilmore’s time together. During a recent press talk, he said:

"They've been left up there — I hope they like each other, maybe they love each other, I don't know."

Many people criticized these awkward remarks, saying they were rude and disrespectful to the astronauts’ hard work and sacrifice.

Now, as Williams and Wilmore head home, their remarkable mission is coming to an end. Despite the unexpected challenges, they showed great strength and determination.

Their return will mark the end of a historic journey, proving once again the bravery and skill of space explorers. Their experience will help NASA improve future missions and make space travel safer and better.